//------------------------------// // The Dark Side // Story: Star Wars: The Fall of Friendship // by King Camelot //------------------------------// “Are we there yet?” an inpatient Sunset Shimmer asked Angel for what seemed like the thousandth time. Angel turned around and gave her his usual annoyed look, he was no happier about her asking than she was. He then shrugged and shook his head, which earned a groan from Sunset. About a half-hour passed on since she had found Angel, and Sunset still continued to follow Angel through the forest. Sunset was beginning to wonder if they were just going in circles at this point, and she was very tempted to just give up and look for the way home. But that strange feeling kept telling her to keep pushing forward, that in the end, it would all be worth it. Would it all be worth it, though? Sunset still had no idea where Angel was taking her, besides that clearing in the forest that they never seemed to be able to get to, nor did she have any idea what she was looking for. Sure, Angel and that presence had wanted to show her something, but the question was what? And what made her so sure she could trust this presence? She and her friends had dealt with things like this, forces that manipulated the mind, told you things that you wanted to hear so that it could make you do the things they wanted. Hell, even her friend Twilight had experienced this kind of thing, twice for that matter! The former Head of Crystal Prep, Principal Cinch, had used Twilight’s desire to go to that extra-curricular program Everton to make her do things that she never would have done otherwise. And during camp, Twilight was locked in a traumatizing struggle of will, as an illusion of Midnight Sparkle created from her own fears, had tortured her constantly with the fears of her losing control again, and that she and her were no different from each other. Everything that she and her friends had been through spoke volumes about how these types of feelings were never okay, and that they would lead you down a path of decisions that you would never truly be able to take back. And yet now, here Sunset was, throwing away everything she had learned, everything she believed in, in favor of a mysterious thing in her head that she had never felt before. She was making the same mistake that the Old Sunset Shimmer would have made, and all that did was make her more distrustful of this presence within her. And as Sunset’s suspicions grew within her, the feeling within her became less comforting. The warmth of purpose and guidance she had felt were slowly disappearing, being replaced with new, more powerful feelings. Feelings that were strange to her, but familiar at the same time. Feelings of cruelty, manipulation, desire, passion, power, paranoia, fear, and loneliness. Feelings that she had once felt a life-time ago. Feelings that belonged to someone she once knew. Feelings that belonged to what can only be described as the... Darker Side of Sunset Shimmer. BOOM! Sunset woke up from her trance, jumping as there was a large noise. Then, she felt something land on her nose. Then another.... Then another... Then another... And soon, it became a full downpour. Sunset then gave a low growl as her hair lost its style and became flat, wet and shiny due to the rain. There was talk on the Weather Channel that there may be a storm today, Sunset silently swore as she had forgot to bring a raincoat. Well, there was no reason to beat herself up about it now, all there was to do was to keep going. Sunset began to move forward, and as she did, a wave of cold whipped by her, returning those feelings of darkness within her. She could sense something, something close, it was coming right towards her! The feeling of fear became stronger, as the thing she sensed got closer and closer to her... ”You are right to mistrust me..." Sunset then stopped, as she found her path being blocked by a figure in black. The person was tall, and lean, giving off a sense of strength and power. Its voice sounded old and wise, but was also cruel and evil. The Figure resembled the form of a man, but it wasn’t a man at the same time. He wasn’t from Equestria, she sensed no drop of pony blood or otherwise that would signify that he was. He wore a cloak as black as night, if night was devoid of the light of stars. On his belt, there was a small cylinder of iron, that held many buttons and exhaust vents on it. It gave off the presence similar to that of a sword, but Sunset could not see how that small cylinder could be used as a weapon. His face was shadowed by the large black hood that he wore, his burning yellow eyes being the only thing visible in the endless void the hood created. This dude really creeped Sunset out, even Angel, who was not afraid of most things, swiftly climbed up Sunset leg and hid inside her jacket pocket. Raising his head the Figure spoke again... ”You are right to fear me." “Afraid, I-I’m not afraid,” Sunset lied, trying to look like she was keeping her cool. She was failing miserably. The Figure chuckled, ”There is nothing that you can hide from me. I can sense your fear. It tastes delicious.” Sunset, now more curious then afraid, tried to understand what he said, “Wait, you can actually sense my feelings? You can... taste them?” The Figure nodded, ”Oh, I can do so much more than that, little one. The Dark Side of the Force holds many powers and many secrets, I have knowledge on all of them." Sunset sounded puzzled, “The Dark Side?” ”I sense the Dark Side within you as well, child. I can feel it within you. Your connection to your friends reveals this. Sunset was now angry, how dare this person compare her bond with her friends to this dark power he talked about?! How dare he call the Magic of Friendship a thing of the Dark?! “No!” She said, “No, no you’re wrong!” Sensing her thoughts, the Figure continued, ”You may deny these claims all you want. But such closed minded thoughts blind you from the truth. Your friends fall closer to the Dark Side, I have foreseen this. Who you now call your friends, will soon become your enemies. Your Magic of Friendship will not be enough to stop it. You must break your ties with your friends, you must embrace the power of the Dark Side." Sunset’s feelings of anger became ten times stronger at these words. She was lost, she couldn’t contact her friends, she didn’t even know if her friends were in here with her or if they knew knew she was in here, there was this strange feeling that seemed to have a mind of its own, and now there was this creepy old man telling her that the Magic of Friendship was weak, and that her friends would soon turn on her! Suddenly, her feelings of anger were replaced with the feeling of hatred, she hated this forest, she hated this man, she hated this thing in her head, and most noticeably, she hated herself! She hated that she fell for the dark trickery of this man! She hated that she had given in to the feelings she had desperately tried to leave behind! And she hated and feared the thought that Twilight and everyone else wouldn’t be her friend anymore. She just felt nothing but hate! Small rocks and stones began to float around her, as she scrunched up her fists, her grip on her arrow becoming tighter! She wanted to kill him! She wanted to brutally murder him, make it slow and painful, enough for him to feel it! Tears poured through her eyes and mixed in with the rain as she screamed with all her might... “I HATE YOU!!!” The Figure laughed, a cold, wicked laugh that belonged to someone whose intentions were truly evil, ”Good! Use that hatred, let it flow through your mind! It makes you stronger, stronger than you would ever have been with the Magic of Friendship! Your friends never loved you, they never considered you one of them! They will betray you! They will kill you! Or better yet, YOU WILL KILL THEM!!! ”NOOOOOO!!!!” Sunset then ran to him at top speed! Arrow raised high above her head, with the intention to kill! The figure then took out his metal cylinder and pressed a button. The sound of thunder erupted as a long, scorching blade of red light burst from its exhaust vent. Sunset began to wake up from her hate induced frenzy, realizing she was in real danger. She tried to turn around and run the other way, but it was too late. As her shoes skidded to the floor, the Figure brought his sword up high above his head, a wicked smile almost visible between his flaming eyes, and swung it down upon Sunset. The last thing she heard before falling to darkness was another voice, equally old and wise, but more comforting and accompanying. Fear leads to Anger, Anger leads to Hate, Hate leads to Suffering. Paths to the Dark Side, these are. Give in to the Dark Side, you must not. But fear it either, you must not. These are your first steps, Miss Shimmer. Trust in the Force. She woke up in a small, circular opening within the forest. The first thing she noticed was that the rain had stopped, and her hair had dried into a funky looking bed head, with mud and sticks protruding from it. She then remembered the man she had faced, and how he had cut her in half! She checked her body for wounds, or any missing body parts. Strangely enough, there wasn’t any. And now that she mentioned it, she had not found anything signalizing that he had been there in the first place. Was it all a dream? No, it felt so life like. She was sure that her experience with him was real, even if she didn’t want it to be. Rubbing her head, she looked at her surroundings. She was laying on a grass floor, seeing a few assorted flowers and thickets here and there. All around the opening was the vast expanse of trees, almost like guardians, protecting this sacred place. Sunset had never seen such beauty before, the entire place was warm and comforting. She tried to get up and explore the place, but then noticed something prick her finger, which turned out to be the arrow that she brought with her. And as she stared at that arrow, it began to dawn on her that she had gone farther than any CHS student in the history of the school. She was the first one to make it to the center of the forest, and discover this amazing work of nature. The feeling of warmth returned to her, as she breathed in the fresh air and the calming sway of the trees. She felt it in her heart, it was here that she would be able to discover what that force in her head w- That force in her head! She had almost forgot about it! Now that she had mentioned it, that presence within her had begun to feel much more powerful. Almost as if this place was strong with that same presence, and had made Sunset’s sensitivity to it 20% stronger! But it was different. As her old feelings of hatred and fear had been replaced with the original feeling of light and guidance. Whatever magic that man had weaved, it had no power over this place. Was this what the presence was trying to show her? Was this where Angel had wanted to take her? Speaking of which, where was that little bunny? She then got her answer, as Angel had just hopped out of her jacket pocket and landed into her line of sight, smiling warmly at her. Sunset now understood, “This place... This is what you wanted to show me, wasn’t it?” Angel nodded, showing that he understood the question. Sunset then realized something, “Hey, you came out of my pocket, right? So does that mean, that man back there, he was real?” Angel’s smile then faded, giving Sunset her answer. But it was not the answer she wanted. Her feeling of happiness was once again replaced, but this time, it was with sadness. She then started crying, “H-he said so many awful things. He told me, m-my friends didn’t like me. T-that they would s-stab me in the back one day. A-A-AND I BELIEVED HIM! I’M A TERRIBLE FRIEND! I TRUSTED HIS WORDS INSTEAD OF MY BONDS WITH THEM!!! I DON’T DESERVE TO BE A WIELDER OF FRIENDSHIP!!!” She then broke down entirely. Putting her hands to her face, bawling her eyes out. She had not cried this hard since Twilight and her friends defeated her and opened themselves up to her. She was really sad, and hurt. Angel saw this and started to begin crying himself, as it was because of him and his insistence to come here that she got into this mess. Then, he did something he rarely ever did, even in the company of Fluttershy. He came up to her, and gave her a hug. Sunset and Angel just sat in that spot for 5 minutes, just sitting there and crying their sorrows away. That was all they knew how to do at the moment. For no one should’ve had to go through that kind of pain. After a while, they stopped crying. They had no more tears left to shed. Sunset was the first to break the silence as she wiped her tears away. “Thank you, Angel. And listen, thank you for showing me this place. I know you didn’t mean for any of that to happen. You just wanted to share this wondrous place with me. Thank you so much!” It was now her turn to give a hug, as she wrapped Angel up tight, pouring all of her positive feelings into it. Angel, ignoring the fact that he was being crushed alive, accepted the hug, and gave the positive feeling back. She then got up, both of them had had enough for one day, and decided that it was time to go home. Sunset promised Angel to tell Fluttershy about his intentions, maybe she would go easy on him. Angel wholeheartedly agreed, and hopped into her pocket, ready to return to his comfy pillow at the Animal Shelter. *Beep* *Boop* Sunset then froze, as she had now heard a new sound, like a machine. *Boop* *Boop* *Beep* She heard it again, louder this time. It sounded like some form of Morse Code, but unfortunately, she had fallen asleep as they were giving that lesson. She cursed to herself, vowing to learn how to speak Morse Code. “Hello? Is anyone there?” Sunset spoke in different directions. She heard another set of beeps. She turned herself to the direction it was coming from. It was coming from a bush to her left. Something was hiding in it. *Beep* *Boop* *Boop* *Beep* She slowly started to approach the bush, hoping to get a good look at what was making that noise, “Hello? Is anyone there? Please come out.” As she got closer to the bush, she then began to see small lights. There was definitely a machine in there. Slowly putting her hand to the bush, she tore it away to see what was in there. What came next was a series a loud beeping that sounded like an animal that was in panic. The machine rolled around in circles and tried to get away. It then tripped on a branch lodged into the ground and fell onto its side. It continued to beep frantically, as it tried to get up. Sunset, the shock of the surprise now worn off, leaned in closer to get a good look at what the machine was. It was a weird looking robot, not that tall, probably going up to the height of Sunset’s waist if it stood all the way up. It was cylindrical in size, with a red dome on the top, and it had two metal legs with wheels protruding out of it. It kinda looked like a miniature trash can on wheels. On it’s head, there was a bunch of different lights coming from different areas, and a small camera-like visor poking out of its head. On its body, there was a number of buttons and switches, and areas that looked like they could open up somehow. But what really intrigued Sunset was the fact that the robot seemed to be, with the lack of a better phrase... alive. The robot wiggled frantically, trying to right itself back up again and run as far as its wheels would take it. Sunset was not entirely sure of how to approach this situation. Fluttershy probably would’ve been the better person to calm it down, or would Twilight have been? It was a machine, but it acted like a small animal. This was all very confusing. Well, neither of them were here right now, so Sunset would just have to do her best. She slowly got down on her knees, and tried to comfort this strange piece of machinery, “Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” Gently putting her hands on both sides of the robot, she began to lift it up. At the touch of her hands, the robot began to squirm, trying to escape from her grasp. Sunset tried to quiet it down, but to no avail. This thing most likely thought she was a predator trying to eat it. Putting her face close to the visor, she whispered, “It’s okay, I’m not gonna eat you. You need to calm down.” Slowly, the robot began to stop struggling. Sunset relaxed, maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she thought, “Now, I’m going to set you straight up now. But if I do, you need to promise that you’re not going to run away. Do you think you could do that?” The robot considered this for a moment. But it didn’t look like it had much other choice. It wasn’t that fast, and she could catch up to him in a few minutes, even at top speed. Deciding that it was out of options, it beeped in approval. Sunset just shrugged, “I’m going to assume that’s a yes.” And with a small heave, she hoisted it upwards. Sunset was intrigued by this robot, she had never seen anything like it. It looked like something from a 80’s sci-fi movie, but more realistic and better CG-I effects. She got a good look around it’s body, looking for a label, a sign, anything that would tell her where it came from. Nothing, nothing at all involving any companies she knew of. But she did find a serial number on it, which read: R5-D3 “R5-D3? That isn’t any serial number I’ve ever heard of. He must be a defective mislabel.” Sunset pondered aloud. This remark earned her a few beeps from the R5, sounding like it was annoyed at her. Sunset didn’t understand what it was saying, but she knew it didn’t appreciate what she said, “Ok, Ok, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” R5 accepted the apology and began to calm down, but still threw a few beeps that sounded an awful lot like, Humpf. Sunset chuckled a little bit, and so did Angel, who was watching the whole thing from Sunset’s pocket. She was beginning to like this robot, which was weird considering that it wasn’t supposed to be a living thing. And yet, here she was, talking to this machine that supposedly could understand and comprehend human emotions. She wanted to ask him more questions, when suddenly, voices began to creep in from outside the meadow. "Angel?! Sunset?! Where are you?!" "Over here, girls! I heard movement this way!" "Ugh! These were my best boots! I hate mud!" "Sunset Shimmer, we're right here! Shout if you can hear us!" Sunset began to scream internally, she knew exactly who those voices belonged to. Her friends had finally showed up, after what was an hour of her wandering in the forest, they finally decided to reveal that they were in here searching as well. And yet, Sunset couldn't be mad at them. They probably didn't go that far into the forest at first, and only decided to go farther now. She was also happy that they were alright, she had sooo much to tell them. Getting off her knees, she began to jump up and down and waved her hands over her head. "Twilight?! Applejack?! Girls, I'm over here! I'm over here!" Hearing the sound of their missing friend, they ran towards the direction of the meadow. One by one, the other members of the Rainbooms broke through the trees and, at the sight of her, gave her a big, meaningful group hug. Sunset couldn't help but start crying, it was only an hour, but it felt like she hadn't seen them in years. "Wow, I've been crying a lot today," Sunset thought to herself. When they finally let go of her, Fluttershy was the first to break the silence, "Wait, where's Angel?! Did you find him?! Is he alright?!" "Calm down, Fluttershy. Angel's safe. He's right here with me." Sunset said reassuringly. And if by que, Angel peaked out of her pocket, and gave the gang a sheepish smile. Fluttershy instantly grabbed him and hugged him as hard as she could. Angel silently gave Sunset a "Help Me" look, but Fluttershy didn't notice, "Oh, Angel! I was so worried! I'm so glad to see your okay!" Applejack was next, but she didn't have anything nice to say, "Alright, you lil' varmint, you have a lotta explainin' to do! Why did y'all go out an' run away like that?! You scared Fluttershy an' the rest of us half to death!" Sunset now felt the need to step in," Now now girls, go easy on him. He just wanted to show me this place, that's all." It was at these words, that for the first time, the Rainbooms had a good look at their surroundings. The reaction was exactly the same as Sunset's. They gaped in awe at the wonderful work of nature that they stood upon. Alongside Sunset, they were the first people in ages to come to make it to the center of the forest. Fluttershy's eyes were wild with excitement, who knew what animals lived in this place. She turned to her bunny friend and patted him on the head, "Oh Angel, if you wanted to show us this place, why didn't you just tell us?" Angel looked the other way, they weren't supposed to see anything. This place was supposed to be for Sunset alone. It was only by accident that they were here. But Fluttershy didn't know that, and he aimed to keep it that way. Rainbow Dash's gaze wandered around the forest, until her eyes caught something gleaming in Sunset's hand, "Wait a second, is that my arrow?" Sunset suddenly realized that she still had it clutched in her hand, he replied sheepishly, "Uhhh, maybe?" Was it possible to be both annoyed and happy for some person at the same time? Because that was what Rainbow Dash was feeling. Although she was happy that her friend broke her high score, she was upset that she wasn't the one to make to the center of the forest first. Remembering why she kept it, Sunset waved it in her face and bragged, "Oh, I'm sorry Rainbow, for beating you to this place. Guess we finally found something I'm better at than you." Rainbow Dash simply snarled, which made Sunset laugh. And even though she was still upset, Rainbow managed to let out a small laugh herself, as she knew Sunset was just messing with her. But as she was about to shake her hand, Rarity noticed something and let out one of her trademark screams. "What?! What's wrong, Rarity?!" Sunset shouted. Rarity just ran up to her and examined her, almost a bit hesitant to touch her. "It's.... well, for a lack of a better phrase, it's YOU!" Rarity screamed, "Your hair is a mess, darling! You look like you haven't had a shower in weeks! Oh, and don't ever get me started on your clothes, you look like a cave man! Your shirt is all but torn, your pants have been ripped up like no tomorrow, and your shoes are coated in mud! And worst of all, that bandage on your hand! Were you attacked, was it ferocious, do you have internal bleeding? This is the Worst! Possible! Thing!" Oh what's a girl to do?!" She looked like she was about to faint, but then realized that her fainting chair was nowhere around, so she simply dusted herself off and stopped being melodramatic. Twilight put a hand over her shoulder, "Rarity, I'm sure that nothing happened out here. But in all seriousness Sunset, we should start to head home. It looks like it may rain again, and I don't think we're ever going to find that cave again." Sunset was just about to ask what cave, she hadn't seen a cave anywhere in these woods, but decided it was probably nothing. Besides she was eager to get out of here too, "She's right, girls. We should probably start heading home anyway. But before we go there's someone I'd like you to meet." She turned to address R5-D3, but was surprised to find that he wasn't there, "R5? Where are you? R5?" She continued to go around in circles looking for R5, but he was nowhere to be seen. Pinkie whispered to her friends, "Are you sure that she hasn't gone off the deep end?" Her friends simply looked at her, as if she was one to talk. But she did have a point, Sunset did seem to be a bit strange. But Sunset wouldn't have any of it, "No! I swear to you, he's real! He's just a little shy is all. He'll come out and say hello in just a minute!" She continued to call out to R5, but enough was enough. Applejack calmly put her hand around her shoulder and gave her the hard truth, "Look Sunset, you've been out here for who knows how long. You're tired, stressed, an' could really use a bite to eat. Let's just head over to your place, an' try to enjoy the rest of the day. There's still time for that sleepover." Sunset was about to argue, that she was perfectly fine and that they had to find R5. But the worried and concerned looks on her friends' faces stopped her. And the more she thought about it, she did sound crazy. But she knew that R5 was real. He had to be! Wasn't he? Noticing the conflict in her friend, Applejack continued, "Look, if you say he's real, I believe ya. But there's no use in looking for him when it's about to get dark. Tomorrow's a weekend, we'll go back out here in the morning, an' spend as much time looking for him as you like. But until then, let's just get you cleaned up an' fed, okay?" Sunset, feeling defeated, silently nodded in agreement. She was in no condition to spend another hour out here looking for him anyway. And besides, the only reason they came here was to look for Angel, right? Now that he was found, there was no real reason to be out here, was there? Sensing the adventure was over, everybody prepared to head back. With the high powered GPS installed on Twilight's phone, they should be able to make it out of these woods in no time. But before they headed back, Rainbow Dash had one more thing left to say, "Hey Sunset, before we leave, why don't you find a nice tree to stick that arrow into, okay? Everybody's gotta know you made it here before anyone else, right?" Sunset simply nodded, "Yeah I guess so." And with that, She found a small tree close by, stuck her arrow in good, and prepared to go home with everyone else. Today's strange events were now behind her. As soon as everyone left, R5 rolled out of the bushes. He scanned his surrounding, making sure they were alone, and gave the signal that the coast was clear. From out of a clump of trees came out a figure in a brown robe. He wasn't as old or as wise as the Black Figure Sunset encountered, nor was he as powerful. He wasn't that tall, only about a few inches taller than Sunset would've been. His face was covered by a white mask with golden outlines leaving two slits to see through, and a few holes at the bottom to breathe out of. In his hand he carried a small metal sword, a Training Saber, salvaged from an old ship dating into the days of the Old Republic. Around his hip hung a simple blaster, it wasn't the most advanced weaponry out there, but it got the job done. The Robed Figure inspected his surroundings, and pondered what just happened. He saw the entire thing, he was lucky they didn't stumble across what he was trying to find. But thankfully, they left before things had to get messy. He guessed that he had R5 to thank for that. True, he almost gave away their position, but he created a big enough distraction to where they didn't go searching further. Not that they would've understood what they found. He turned to face his droid friend, "Good work, Red. It's a shame we didn't find what we were looking for, but at least you stopped them from finding it before we did. However, I think we may have found something just as important." Those other six carried a strange power to them, but he wasn't concerned about them. The power they wielded was just a fraction, compared to the power of the Force. What he was really interested in, was her. She wasn't like the others, she was just like him. Her connection to the Force was extremely powerful, maybe just as powerful as his. He hadn't met anyone with Force sensitivity since the day that... well, he didn't want to think about it. For the first time in a long time, he felt... hope. The Figure brought himself to eye level with Red, "Okay, new plan. Red, I want you to tail her. I want you to get to know her, make it so that she trusts you. She's in grave danger, and she won't be able to save herself without our help." Red beeped in disapproval, reminding him of one of their most sacred rules. The Figure simply laughed it off, "Hey, I know we're supposed to keep a low profile. Look, just introduce yourself to her, follow her around, enter her circle of friends. And then, I introduce myself, explain the situation, and we leave. If we do this right, the Empire will never have to know about it. Easy as jumping from The Enigma, right?" Red groaned, but agreed to do it nonetheless, "Great, if you hack into the purple one's transmission device, you should be able to follow them to their base. I'll stay here and continue to solve the puzzle. Good Luck, Red. This could change our lives for the better, I just know it." And then, with one last electrified grumble, he made himself into the direction those girls were heading in. When he was sure Red was gone, he spoke into the comm device on his wrist, "Turner, come in. Change of plans, we're gonna have to stay here a bit longer." Turner, who was slightly garbled from the low signal, responded back, "Understood, sir. Have you finally cracked the clue?" "No, but I may have found something just as valuable. Tell the crew to hold on tight. When I give the signal, we prepare to leave the planet, Understood?" "Yes, sir!" and with that, the connection broke off. The Figure walked up to the tree with the arrow and yanked it out as hard as he could. Examining it, he asked himself, "Sunset Shimmer, just who are you?"